Originally Posted by
Asturias56
"This is to build a maybe Irish level of capability...not a modern force capable of trading fists with the Belorussian Army."
That is the exact point - why would Scotland need or want to fight the Belorussian Army? Or anyone else for that matter. We, on here, see defence through the prism of NATO, and the last 75 years of keeping Russia out. Scotland, on its own, won't have the same concerns. They need a Police Force for maritime areas and a small military force for back-up in local terrorist event - other than that its hard to see a real threat to them.
At least this is honest. Its basically another Euro state that makes the assumption that should things really go pear-shaped, they can depend upon corn-fed Americans to show up.
It is really the best deal going so I get it...you get to chuck political rocks at Americans all you wish, but if your assumptions about your security fail, well, dial up 001 and someone shows and fixes stuff. I mean, what real security issues does an island that imports the majority of its calories really face?
How is a police force going to defend the off-shore wealth that underwrites the whole Scottish economy, such as it is? From where does this training, intelligence, and material come?
Military force is like a fire extinguisher, in that you don't need one until you need one badly. Independent Scotland will be that tenant that steals the batteries from the smoke detectors.
The SNP "plan" is more Euro-style security free loading. All the while bleating how an independent Scotland is committed to NATO and the EU, by providing all assistance short of actual help. The plan is to be a less functional version of Canada, knowing that actual security exporters own self interest is your fundamental guarantee. That is actually not political independence at all. Its actually the opposite.